I have a 2006 supercrew 4x4 and want to install 2 5/16" ball in the box to pull livestock trailer. The local Ford dealer reccommends against using a SC as they jack khife easily when backing a goose neck trailer. I had checked B and W hitches for such animal but didnt find one was available. The local welding shop will install a welded in one but im looking for reasonably priced bolt in. What do guys and gals think?

 

Here's the deal. Remember to take into account the weight of the hitch.. usually about 200# that needs to be removed from your load capacity pin weight due to just the hitch installed in the truck.

Atwood makes a box GN hitch which will lay over the ball when not in use.
After fabrication welding and labor they end up being one of the most expensive hitches and you need to cut a 1 foot by 1 foot hole in your bed to accomodate the hitch.(not recommended)
http://www.hitchesonline.com/fold_goosenecks.htm

B&W after getting in trouble for making hitches for the '99-'03 F150 discontinued them in the F150 line because of the weak frame design and people over loading these trucks and trying to blame it on the hitch design.

Obviously the '04 and newer is a different animal, but there was still problems in the '04 so B&W still doesn't consider the'04 -newer F150 a safe vehicle to to a GN trailer with.

Pop Up makes a couple of GN style hitches if you feel you must install one.
http://www.popuphitch.com/popup.htm#pumodel
This style works well but is prone to jaming due to it's design when exposed to mud and dirt.(not recommended.. even the new improved version)

Their Flip over ball is a better design copying B&W and is actually going to be cheaper in the long run after buying the hitch, installing it and not having to weld or drill on the truck frame.
http://www.popuphitch.com/flipover.htm

Any other easy questions??

Don't forget to also install an additional 7 pin plug in the bed so when you are towing you won't scratch your tailgate with the trailer wiring.

 

I probably will go to the welding shop and havethe plate welded under the box. The only hole will be for the ball, and the ball would unscrew from the plate. not as fast as the 3 manufacturers mentioned above, but it is locatable rearward inthe box bed. The 3trucks Ive had had the ball centered at 50 from the rear edge of the box. I even installed an above the box plate centered at 50" in my '88. Any other comments are welcome. The shop Ill go to has done4 pickups that my family has owned since 1987. He does a couple a week.

I wont install a new 7 poleplug in the box as I already have added an extension to the main line on the trailer, and I have a six pole adapter that the trailer uses.

 

Just remember that the max load rating of the AXLE (not suspension) is 4,500 lbs at the ground. I'd make sure I added some air bags for the rear and go. I don't think there would be any issues.

 

It wont be my main trailer puller unless more than 3 people are going with, or the other 2 pickups are broke which happens once in a while. Had total weight behind the96 of 18,000lbs yesterday, (that included truck and gooseneck trailer), no problems at all and NO brakes on the trailer. I pulled 8 cows weighing just ove 1100lbs 50 miles with my first pickup a 76 f150 heavy half. So the 5.4 should not have any problems, but need to get ther brakes hooked up though.

 

Since you are risking every ones life everytime you do something like that could you please inform us all when and where you will be so we can avoid you... and maybe call you in to the State Police?

 

What was I thinking getting rid of my 04 F150 for a Diesel F350 to tow a fifth wheel. Had I known I could tow so much weight with an F150 I would have never bought my F350. I hope you never get pulled over by a D.O.T officer that is having a bad day because they will make your last proctology exam look like a vacation not to mention the fines and tickets you will have to pay for being overweight and not having any brakes I think they would site you for reckless endangerment on that one.

 

Man, some of the responses are almost as bad as some of the posts on RV.NET...

It's livestock he's hauling, and if he's a farmer/rancher, he can do all of this on public roads for the most part and be fine and legal, if he has the proper papers stating that.... Now, taking it out on the freeway and all, well, that's something else, but for the most part, if it's on back roads and such... Well... There you go...

I'd still want some brakes on the trailer regardless, but hell, it's his truck and it's not like he's looking to tow an RV with his whole family on board and has never towed anything before in his life and asking "can I tow this?"...

CO had some good info in his first post and the OP came back with some more info, so I'm not really sure 'why' the OP even asked in the first place because it sounds like he's done this many times before with other rigs??

Dunno... I can't say that I'd do what the OP wants to do, but it ain't my truck...

Mitch

 

Mitch you have some good points but having a back ground in commercial trucking I have hauled some loads were very close to being overweight and it was no fun because the truck never handled well loaded that heavy. I have also been a few farms around the area and they have a 3/4 ton or better rig for what he is doing because at some point common sense has to kick in about towing heavy loads like that on a truck that wasnt designed for it.

 

I hear ya DS,

While I've never been a commercial hauler, I've hauled a lot of stuff from one side of this country to the other both overloaded and not overloaded myself.... This was 20 some odd years ago mind you, but the loads were heavy all the same!!

I guess it's all relative to the times however.... "back in the day" stuff does not really apply now, so I guess it is what it is....

But, "back in the day", most farmers/ranchers would have 3/4 ton trucks to do the work... I guess now a days, it's more of the '1/2 tons' doing the same job, since for all intensive purposes, todays '1/2 ton' has just about the same GVWR as yesterdays '3/4 tons'... For example, my dads 1971 F250 has a GVWR of only #7700! Well, Fords "F150" from about 1997 to 2003 could be had with the same GVWR... The new "F150's" can be had with a GVWR of #8200 now if properly equipped...

The difference is my dad's old F250 has a full float rear end, huge brakes and a huge frame past the cab as opposed to the new F150's now..

Anyway, the OP seemed to have his mind made up before even asking... I guess he was just looking for some confirmation that others do the same thing???

So, while I think he could "get away" with his intended plans, I certainly won't say that he'll be "just fine" either... Like I said.. It's his truck and his right to do whatever he wants, regardless of what us internet forum users say...

Mitch

 

wow, need I say more

Mitch I agree with that statement about the OP having his mind made up before he posted

in the area where my mom lives there is a "rancher" I'll use that term lightly, he has a supercrew F-150 and he has a 4 horse gooseneck stock trailer. when the trailer is empty it has the f-150 on the bumpstops let alone when he stuff's 4 horses in it. I do not recomend the OP attempt this as it will needelessly endanger other humans on the roads let alone his livestock forced to load into the trailer. They sell 3/4 and 1 tons for a reason

 

I have decided to reply after being ripped apart above. 1. Why I dont have the brakes working on the 96 is that I was going to sell it do to having 3 pickups I removed the non-correctly operating controller at that time and had not reinstalled it. 2. I farm for a living, thus hauling livestock with my f150's and a 6x16' gooseneck stock trailer. The load I mentioned above was only hauled 2 miles total on gravel roads from 1 location to another at not above 45 mph. (you never know if the brakes on a vehicle were to fail at any given time, such as brake lines rusting out, which has happened but without pulling a trailer.) 3. Is the supercrew suspension not as heavy as an 88 or 96 regular cab pickup? If I need to install airbags I will, I hadnt planned on pulling the GN trailer fully loaded every day. So would it be better to pull a 6x16' bumper hitch trailer with the same load? I DONT THINK SO! Thats the reason I asked about the bolt in GN hitches. 4. Did I have my mind made up on where I was going to have the GN hitch done??? NO, thats why I asked the question here, I wanted recommendations! But I got shot down! 5. Have I ever pulled a gooseneck trailer before? Well lets see,uuhhhhh, only since 1987, when the bumper hitch trailer was traded for a gooseneck trailer. 6. Why didnt I just buy a 3/4 ton pickup? a. This is our secound family vehichle,5 people. b. The neighbors who have 3/4 ton pickups said to stay with the 1/2 ton for the ride, as both come with same engine and trans. C. A 3/4 ton may not fit into my garage as I have only 7x9 doors. d. 3/4 ton vehichls cost more. e. 1/2 ton pickups are all our family has owned since December 1975 when the first 4x4 was purchased new. It used to haul 10 market hogs in the bed averaging 240 lbs each, and not have any problems. You guys think what I mentioned above is dangerous, Ive pulled 5.5 tons in a 4 wheeled gravity wagon with no brakes what so ever for several years in the past,(I now has a realtruck to haul my grain with, a 1972 INTERNATIONAL LOADSTAR 1600.) There are seral other farmers pulling up a federal highway loaded wagons hauling near 700 bushel of corn with their 3/4 ton Ford pickups. Sure no brakes isnt real smart, but it is done quite often all over the country, does everyone who rents or borrows a trailer of any sort ALWAYS have a brake controller to run the brakes on the trailer? Some dont even hook up th wires for the lights. Ill get off my high horse now, and wait to get torn apart again, Ive had that done to me on a racing forum before.

 

If B&W doesn't consider the '04+ F150 a safe vehicle for towing a GN trailer with, why do they sell a hitch for them?

 

The flaw with this GVWR logic is that trucks weigh a lot more now than they did 20, 30, 40 years ago. A 3/4 ton truck has always had about 2500 pounds of payload available, 1/2 ton 1500 pounds. 2009 F-150 base curb wight 5200 pounds. 1975 F-150 regular cab 4000 pounds.

Anyway, a ball welded in the truck bed is much lighter than a full 5-th wheel receiver.

 

you don't check your equipment out before you run it?

you're mind is made up and i wish you the best of luck

nope the 3/4 ton uses a different trans and the V-10 is the optinal engine, stronger axles, better brakes, cooling etc...

and if this F-150 is your primary vehicle then I wouldn't suggest overloading it for fear it breaks while your family is inside...

a 4 wheeled gravity wagon is not as heavy on the truck suspension as a gooseneck trailer...

see, exactly you're gonna do this, if i was you I would've bought a slightly used 3/4 ton crew cab short bed and been done with it, now you're gonna spend more on the 1/2 ton just to tow with it than if you had just bought a 3/4 or 2 ton not trying to cut you down and I appologise if you feel I am but there are much safer way's to do your thing and I will use care when I travel thru Iowa for fear I will encounter you or your "friends" towing these loads...


*edit* my dad tows a 16ft bumper pull stock trailer with his 3.0 5 speed ranger, does it do it YES, is it safe NO why does he do it?? the same reasons you want to overload your F-150 and guess what there's an F-250 sitting in the barn that he refused to drive because insurance is too high for the 3/4 ton VS the ranger. He's got brakes and everything on the ranger and it's absolutly retarded I'll end my rant now before I hurt your feelings